PBR DAILY ROUNDUP

March 26, 2012

By Drake Skleba

Note: Watch a LIVE broadcast of Illinois High School Baseball this afternoon at 4:30, as the No. 8 Simeon Wolverines (6-1) take on the No.19 Marist Redhawks (4-1) at Marist.

Log on to www.highschoolcube.com for all of the action. The PBR’s Drake Skleba will once again be providing his astute color commentary on all of the action.

Corn Belt
Mahomet-Seymour (6-3; 1-0) won its Corn Belt Conference opener, crushing Prairie Central 11-0 in five-innings. Bulldog junior Tyler Francisco (2-1) fired a three-hitter with seven strikeouts for M-S. Freshman Joe Kenney hit two bombs and drove home five for the Bulldogs and junior Brad Hermann also went deep and plated four Bulldog runs. 

Nonconference

No. 11 New Trier (1-0) defeated No. 13 Harrisburg 3-1 behind a six-inning masterpiece by senior left-hander Nick Hedge (1-0). The hard-hitting Bulldogs did not cross the plate against Hedge in his six innings of work on Monday at the Miner Classic at Marion’s Rent One Park. Harrisburg falls to 4-1-1

Mt. Vernon (7-1) outslugged No. 18 Benton 10-7 at The Deep South Showdown in Benton, a nonconference battle between the South 7 Conference and the S.Illinois River-River Conference-Ohio Division. Both teams lit up the scoreboard early as Mt. Vernon grabbed a 6-5 lead after two innings. The battle was tied 7-7 after four innings.

In the top of the sixth the victorious Rams scored three times to pick up the impressive road victory. Mt. Vernon was led by its senior C Grant Garrett who drove home five big Ram runs in his 3-for-4 afternoon. Ram junior CF Landon Thomas chipped in with a pair of hits and two RBI for Mt. Vernon.

Ram closer Zach Jones (1-0) picked up his first win of the season with two scoreless innings of relief. Jones has a team-leading three saves for the Rams.

For Benton (5-1), which fell from the ranks of the unbeaten, Ranger senior Mason Childers had a perfect 3-for-3 day at the plate with a long-one and three RBI. Bradley-bound Ranger SS Ty Leffler chipped in with two hits, including his 8^th round-tripper of the season. That’s not a misprint; eight bombs in 6 games. Ty is very content with the new bats for 2012.

No. 2 St. Laurence (5-0) defeated Stagg 6-5 in eight thrilling innings on Monday. Viking sophomore Brad Wood sent the large contingent at Viking Field home very happy, when he roped a double that plated senior 1B Brandon Mallder with the game-winner.

No. 3 Normal West (5-1) fell to Bartonville Limestone 5-1 in Bartonville on Monday. Limestone (3-1) junior Zach Jewell fired five-innings of one-run ball at the Wildcats to pick up the win on the mound. Rocket senior Logan Johnson led the Rocket attack with a pair of hits and two RBI

No. 5 Mt. Carmel (7-0), behind senior Frank Kelly and junior SS Jerry Houston, defeated Lane Tech 9-6 on Monday. Kelly hammered a two-run double and Houston blasted a solo shot to keep the Caravan unbeaten.

No. 6 Providence (4-1) bounced back from Saturday’s loss at Minooka, by blanking No. 19 Marist (4-1) behind Celtic Notre Dame-bound LHP Zak Kutsulis (2-0). Kutsulis allowed just two hits in six innings to lead the Celtics to the 7-0 victory. The future Fighting Irish lefty also contributed at the plate with a single and a triple.

Senior Kenny King went deep for the second time in 2012 in the second inning. Later King added a pair of RBI doubles to his fine day at the plate. Southeast Missouri State-bound SS Brandon Boggetto chipped in with an RBI single for Providence.

No. 7 Marian Catholic (3-0) trounced Bradley-Bourbonnais 12-2 in five innings on Monday. Arizona State-bound LHP Brett Lilek improved to 2-0 on the mound for the Spartans. Spartan junior C Brent Feldner had a perfect 3-for-3 day at the plate with three RBI. University of Iowa-bound Devin Pickett had three hits and scored three times for the Spartans. Lilek fired three scoreless innings for the Spartans with six strikeouts.  

Lockport (3-0) opened up the 2012 Miner Classic at Rent One Park in downstate Marion in style. Junior Eric Duzan (1-0) and senior Rob Walus (SV1) combined on a four-hitter as the Porters defeated St. Charles North 5-1.

Porter junior Derek Bangert and senior Austin Mastela each plated Porter runs against the North Stars. Senior Dave Matthews also had an RBI for the Porters. Senior SS Tommy Hook was off and running in Marion, pilfering a pair of bases for the Porters.

The Porters continued their successful first day in Marion with a thrilling come-from-behind 6-3 win over Warren. Down 3-1 after five, Lockport exploded for five runs in the top of the sixth.

Porter senior John Altmann doubled home a run in the top of the sixth to bring the Porters within 3-2. The Porters tied it on a passed ball and then took the lead for good on a clutch RBI single from senior Adam Hillebold. Junior Connor Ryan (1-0) fired two scoreless innings in relief to pick up the win on the mound.

Bangert used his powerful bat against the Blue Devils in the Porters second game. Bangert went deep in the first inning, singled and walked in three trips to the plate for Lockport.

Sandburg (1-0) opened up the Jim Morsovilo-era at Sandburg with a big 10-3 thrashing of No. 20 Oak Lawn (3-2). Morsovillo replaces 34-year Sandburg head coaching great Doug Sutor, who retired last spring.

Air Force-recruit Zach Reks had three hits and drove home two runs in leading the Eagles past the Spartans. Up next for the Eagles is a date with No. 1 Lyons Township (3-0) in Western Springs at 4:30 on Wednesday.

Bloomington (5-1) smoked Lakes 11-0 in five innings on Monday at Illinois Wesleyan University in Bloomington. Junior Kent Frantz (1-1) fired a two-hitter for the Purple Raiders. Frantz helped himself with a pair of booming doubles that plated two Raider runs. Senior Michael Mardis had two hits and two RBI and 6-foot-2, 215 pound, Raider C Kyle Johnson, had a perfect 2-for-2 day with an RBI.

Plainfield South (3-1) blasted Herscher 12-2 in six innings on Monday. Cougar senior Julian Clouse went the distance to improve to 2-0 on the mound for South. Herscher slips to 4-3. 

No. 9 Oak Park (3-0) defeated Prairie Ridge 6-3 behind the big bat of Huskie junior 1B Nick Kowalczuk. Kowalczuk crushed a two-run triple in the fifth to extend the Huskie lead to 6-1. Kowalczuk also singled home a run for OPRF.

Huskie senior RHP Mike Brennan (1-0) allowed one earned run in five innings to pick up the win on the mound for OPRF. Oak Park senior LHP closer Max Guzetta extinguished a Prairie Ridge seventh-inning rally by striking out the final two Wolves hitters on strikes to earn the save. 

No. 15 Edwardsville (4-0) defeated Jerseyville 6-4 on Monday. Tiger senior Derek Page had the big hit for the Tigers when he singled home a pair of runs in the second innings. Tiger senior Matt Boivin (1-0) pitched five innings to pick up the win. Boivin had seven strikeouts.

Edwardsville will open up Southwestern Conference play today at home at 4:30 against unbeaten Alton (4-0)

No. 23 Maine South (3-0) stayed unbeaten with a 9-8 thrilling victory over Parkway South (MO) on Monday.

No. 25 Belleville East (5-0) smashed Trenton-Wesclin 10-2 on Monday in a tune-up for the Lancers SWC opener at home today against Granite City (3-2)

Ottawa Marquette (6-0) routed Wilmington 13-3 in five innings. Crusader Logan Sparks went deep with two Crusaders aboard and finished with four RBI on the day. See Spark’s three-run-bomb at www.highschoolcube.com  

Huntley (1-2) picked up its first win of 2012 behind its sophomore C Mark Skonieczny. The Red Raider C want 4-for-4, with a double, triple and a pair of singles driving in three Red Raider runs in a 9-2 Huntley romp over Marengo. Senior RHP Dan Lowery (1-0) picked up the win on the mound for the Red Raiders.

Lincoln-Way East (2-2) evened up its record with a 5-1 win over Minooka on Monday. St. Joseph’s-bound RHP Mark Chemello (2-0) allowed one run in his quality 6 1/3 inning stint

Aurora Christian (5-1) won an old-fashioned pitcher’s duel 1-0, over IMSA on Monday. Eagle sophomore J.T. Baksha allowed one-hit in six quality innings of work to get the win. Baksha fanned eight IMSA hitters. NIU-bound Eagle LHP Bobby Kuntzendorf nailed down the save for Baksha with a 1-2-3 seventh, including a strikeout.

Eagle senior Kenny McCracken, plated the lone run of the game on a sac-fly in the top of the sixth. McCracken singled earlier in the game. Eagle senior Josh Haugen continued his early-season demolition of the baseball, with another two hits.

Rolling Meadows (2-1) knocked York (3-1) from the ranks of the unbeaten with a thrilling 3-2 victory over the Dukes in Rolling Meadows on Monday. Mustang junior Mike Dennis did it all for Meadows. Dennis (1-0) fired a five-hitter at the Dukes and drove home all three Mustangs with a booming two-run double and an RBI single.

De La Salle (4-1) slipped past Shepard 4-3 behind Meteor junior Ricardo Ramirez (2-0). Ramirez had another quality 6 1/3 inning start.

Lemont (2-2) defeated Bolingbrook 3-2 when Indian senior Gio Smith laced a two-run double in the top of the seventh to give the Indians the thrilling come-from-behind win in Bolingbrook on Monday.

Lisle (5-3) defeated St. Francis 4-1 behind a seven-hitter from senior Jared Jayne on Monday. Jayne improves to 2-0 on the campaign. Lion senior 1B Ty Howell had a perfect 3-for-3 day with a pair of RBI.

Nazareth Academy (6-0) knocked Gordon Tech (6-1) from the ranks of the unbeaten with a 5-1 victory in La Grange Park on Monday. Roadrunner senior Dom Purpura (1-0) fired a three-hitter at the previously unbeaten Rams.  

Roadrunner junior Pat Houlihan had a perfect day at the plate with two hits a walk and an RBI. Senior Ryan Marske and sophomore Jake Bartels drove home runs for the unbeaten Roadrunners.

Hersey (1-0) surprised Springfield Sacred Heart-Griffin 8-4 in Springfield on Monday. SHG falls to 0-2.

Oswego (3-0) prevailed 1-0 in eight exciting innings over Sandwich on Monda. The undefeated Panthers scored in the bottom of the eighth, to send the matinee contingent that gathered at Jackie’s Field of Dreams, home very happy. Panther junior Kelse Gengler (1-0) pitched a scoreless eighth inning for Oswego to pick up the win on the mound for the Panthers.

Panther junior Alex Milne pitched seven no-hit innings for Oswego and struck out 15 but the Panthers couldn’t score until the eighth.   

Glenbard South (4-1) fell from the ranks of the unbeaten falling to Kentucky powerhouse Louisville Pleasure Ridge Park (1-1) by a 6-2 final.

St. Charles East (1-0) made the return of Head Coach Len Asquini a successful one, as the Fighting Saints blasted Dundee-Crown 11-1 in six innings on Monday. Fighting Saint junior Joey Hoscheit got the party started with an RBI single in the first inning. Junior Brian Sobieski had a booming two-run double and scored on RBI single from senior John Hondlik in the Saints four-run third.

Junior Troy DeFilippis closed out the Saint onslaught when he plated a pair in the sixth to make the score 11-1.

Asquini returned to the Kane County school after an eight-year absence. The Fighting Saints won the 1999 AA State Baseball Championship under the tutelage of Asquini.

No. 22 Lincoln-Way North (3-1) hammered Rich South 10-0 in five innings behind junior C Ryan Pellack. Pellack drove home three Phoenix runs with a pair of hits as the Phoenix bounced back in style from their loss to Plainfield Central on Saturday.

Waterloo (0-2) fell to Red Bud 6-3 on Monday.

Elk Grove (3-1) won a wild won 3-2 over Glenbard North in Carol Stream on Monday. The Grenadiers made the most of their three hits and scored the game-winner on a wild pitch in the sixth. Junior Jake Andrews knotted the game at 2-2 when he singled home the tying run in the fifth. Andrews and senior Cody Gustafson scattered seven hit against the Panthers and Gustafson picked up the win in relief.

Barrington (5-2) continued to get great pitching as senior RHP Frank Waliczek (1-1) fired six scoreless innings as the Broncos defeated Niles West 3-0 on Monday.

Leyden improved to 4-0 on the year with a 4-3 win over Fenton on Monday. Eagle senior Mike Szopinski won it for the Eagles with a booming two-run double.

Morgan Park (7-0) won its seventh straight with a 15-0 demolition of Marshall on Monday.

No. 24 Mundelein (6-1) smashed Cobden 10-0 in five innings at SIU on Monday.

DeKalb (3-0-1) hammered Rockford Jefferson 10-3 on Monday. Barb senior 1B Matt Hoyle was 4-for-4 at the plate with three RBI.

Galesburg (6-1) won for the sixth consecutive time on Monday, shutting out Geneseo 4-0. Silver Streak junior Chans Sugden (1-0) pitched three scoreless innings to pick up the win on the mound for the Streaks. Junior C Nathan Perez had a clutch two-run single to lead the Streaks.

Wheaton-Warrenville South (2-1) surprised Collinsville 3-1, in Collinsville on Monday. Collinsville falls to 4-2

Bethalto Civic Memorial (1-4) picked up its first win of the season with a 12-2 pasting of defending Class 1A Champ Carrollton (2-1). Eagle sophomore 3B Jansen Helmlkamp had two hits and two RBI for Civic Memorial. Senior Bryan Ricci had a big three-run double for the Eagles and junior Nick Vogel had a perfect 2-for-2 day with 2 RBI. Later Monday night the Eagles were blanked 4-0 by the Piasa Birds of Piasa Southwestern (1-3)

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